Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-24
AUNT HANNAH"

Every one Is the better for having defined Do
s'tion. ana i sometimes fancy mine must be the
good creature" Of the family.
IL Is a large and scattered family and gives am
Pie scope for every kind OF usefulness. Time was
"hen was the spOilt child OF &c: but years have
hurried on and the bright promise was early
npSed In the bud by the death OF my dear parents,
privileged 20 pass away within twenty four houZs
OF each other.
rs left the churchyard where the sun srone
softly down upon their undivided grave, and strove
10 realize that hencefOrward those true and tender
hearts were sharers In the glorious sunshine OF
eternal day, looked into the cold hard face OF my
eldest brother and knew that the days OF sympa-
ihetlc love in my Old home were over and done
With for me. Robert was not unk1nd or unjust,
but sympathy was q quality utterly wanting In
his composition, and II he just and fair toward
others, what on earth could others want more, In
Heavens name? he would ask impatiently.
An, well. justice Is much; but love and SYM
pathy, what are they not worth In all our lives,
from the highest lady IN the land whose sym
pathy never fails IN time of need, down 10 the
little school child, who Will spare few precious
crumbs OF cake for the hungry robin IN Its pain?
My other brothers and sisters were all married
and scattered over the world. and Roberts eldest
children were but a few years younger than my
sell. the youngest OF their fathers generation
For some years lived on IN the dear OLD nome,
and strOve To be OF what use / could. No one
Scrupied TO make use or me, j am bound 10 say,
"Aunt Hannah will do Il. She Won't mind"
Did she mind? Sometimes think she did.
The young ones were growing up, and 10 them
my few additional years constituted, III not Old
age, at least advanced middle age Little did they
think, whilst their nlmble feet Whlrled 10 Aunt
nannah's playing q could play, and ior many rea-
sons threw my heart into doing my best for their
dance muSic)-litJle did they think, 1 say, now
my own shoes were twttching under the piano
with a longing to be given chance OF a turn my
self
one night overheard slim young Guardsboy
muTmuI TO my niece:
.'BuI, ss,y, won't your aunt be tired, playing so
long?"
Edith. "She likes IT."
bent my head over the piano and guped down
the choke that almost overpOwered me as stead
uy marked time In that yalse tune or many men,
cries. Up before the eyes OF my memory rose that
evening seven years before, upon which my future
life had seemed 10 hinge. was twenty then and
had been for two years an inmate OF my brothers
home. was tweDJy-Seven now, and still
considered too young 10 have a home OF my own
by Iny elder relations. too old Tor young lady
amuSements by the younger generation
So steadily played ON, and my thoughts foated
away backward 10 that evening have limited at.
saw once more small, dark-haired girl, with
hazel eyes and a far-away look Ia them, and over
her bent broad-shouIdered, eurlS-headed young
you, darling little Hannah, will come tomorrow
and see Robert and YOU"
But OH, Nike, Mike, why did you never come
never, never and the next thing that heard was
that you had gone TO India the following week,
and the year alter heard that you were married.
And On what had done, what had done, TO de-
serve such blow IL this?
Had misunderstood him? Good Heavens! had
i shown that thought he loved me, and he had
meant nothing and taken fright, ana done the
most mercilu! thing he could by vanishing from
out OF my IlIt?
Nizht and day / wearied myself TO think out
this agonZing puzzle. speak to Robert dared
not. What could he think OF girl who had adj
United she loved some one, when the some one had
too clearly not wished 1OT her love?
Roberts wife was wrapped UP in her babies, and
on The only occasion on which l had braced my
heart 10 ASK her advice, had answered Inc
through the reigDing infant: ''Tell her she
H.uittnt DC toOpld and glum. my ToOtseewOOtSee;
set mutt Ium and play wiz 90, my precious,
Henceforward fought my battle alone and sub
sided into the long suffering placid Aunt HanHah
who WAS supposed s.nor to mind the dreary bits
OF employment which all the Others shirked
just when had struck twenty-seyen my rich
Old godmother died, and 10 my surprise left me
handsome slice OF her fortune. coupling with IL the
command that / should take her name In place OF
ny own From Hannah Grey became, therefore,
straIghtway Hannah Sinclair. With my new
name i furthermore asserted my Independence,
and set up for my sell q little house in London
Ny dear old nurse took the lead In my household,
and the hrst night that established myself by
my own Preside and started as free lone woman
laid my ut al on her knees and cried as II my
heart would break Aisle asked no questions but
StrChed my head In silence. Some people are
blessed With an Instructive sympathy and tact
My dear Old Aisle was one OF them. We never
once alluded 10 that evening In all the long years
we spent together; but somehow think she ha
sraSped more than ever guessed.
by degrees HItle nome became the useful
rendezvous Of all the family Nj hall was many
time nlled with IOrbidding- looking females all
unsummoned by me, but ''come by appointment
10 see MIS-. Grey about the cooks place, mum
and presently a cab would pun up with Jerk and
my slSter-in-law would hustle in dropping brown
paper parcels from her arms. $50 sorry dear
had no time 10 Write, babyS teeth bothered him
80, but knew you wouldn't mind" Hardly any
VI the MISUNDERSTANDING women ever answered,
50 the same ceremony was repeated many time.
i did not mind the women so much but the out
Or-place men servants, own, were a trial 10 NE.
frenchmen, Italians, Germans, Ir1shmen, all and
sundry. 1hey stood III rows. blocking up ruy
little hall, and had been summoned by my niece
Edith. 70 whom her mother had III most cases
thrown the Morning POST and heap OF half
penny cards, saying, write 10 any likely ones
and tell them TO meet me tomorrow. Aunt Ham
nah won't mind, and baby wants me now"
That little trouble, however, vas put an end to
IN this wise One OF the men turned out to have
been notorious burglar, and an attempt was
promptltude With which Ailsie had struck a liyht
IN the basement, whilst the footman locked him-
sell securely in the pantry.
Robert was very Kind about this, and peremp-
torlly forbade any more appointments OF the kind
being made. He would see ali men servants at his
own club In the future.
SO my life flowed evenly On for a year or two
and my nephews and nieces came and went and
my doors flew open 10 them heartily.
AUNT Hannah said Bobby one day as ne
rushed In laden with an enormous hamper, "you
wont mind this standing here just While I'm
fellow has given me to take home. It's awfully
Jolly If you'd IKE To have II out"
'.NO, thanks, i answered with my pocket hand
kerchlef 10 my nose; 'we can stand the hamper
down In the area 1t isn't exactly sweet, you
know, Bobby"
Not sweet. Why its Only a badger. and can't
stay long, because my train goes at 3, don't You
Know"
but where's Tirn?" asked, looking beyond him
tothe empty hanson.
"Oh! by-the-bye, / forgot" he answered
promptly. Tins Slckening Tor the measles they
think, 50 mother thought he had better not go
home; out as they won't keep him at old Blazers,
lie continued, a. ne flung hiIaSeli cheeriy into an
armchair In the sitting room, "he Is follow by
The next tram, and mother wrote that she wa,
sure you wouldn't mind II he came straight 10 YOU
but Was 20 ask you, don't you know"
Here burst out laughing, and Bobby looked
Critically but appToyingly 1T me, with both hands
ON his knees.
II say. Aunt Hannah" he blurted out, "I'm
never sure ABOUT you. Sometimes tnink you are
seventy. ana sometimes you LOOK seventeen; that s
what you look now. don't believe you're half as
o-d-maidlsh a. the girls think YOU"
II hank sou, Bobby" said, kissing his Jolly fat
cnevh; Il don't feel ike seventy yet and what a
Dear old boy you will be when am, But now
about Tim was going TO have party Tonight
and measles won't do well with that
But II mad 10 DO, inasnuch "a there was no time
10 put on any body and 1.-THE party got as Tar as
my closed front door, where they We're met by an
anable policeman, on duty for the purpose at five
bated breath that "there was hinlection In the
,otse, and the grinding wheels were all that /
heard OF icy guests for long while afterward
one OF them, wishing 10 combine Kindness and
caufiOn, sent me note Of inquiry.
"Dear Hannah-How Is your nephew? but please
dear, don't send an answer"
lin was dear Fellow and did not catch the